event pt 1 | full moon & litha

[moustre]

Event Log: June, A Midsummer Night's Dream

I. IUNERIL 17TH - THE FULL MOONS The days leading up to the full moons are the same as last month: Monsters are a little itchier and a little easier to agitate, whether they mean to be or not, which becomes increasingly noticeable the day before the full moons. But of particular note is that this may be the second full moons that some arrivals have experienced, and with that comes greater risks, greater agitation, and further reminders to take care of themselves. Weather fair, despite the worries of the city, Monsters will find that the Sisters aren't blocked away by clouds this night. The moons cast their light down on the city, and the pull is strong for even the veteran natives that call the city home. The Coven is offering potions and charms, in an attempt to encourage those without a Bond to ensure that they will be able to keep their wits about them throughout the entire stretch of the Sisters' time in the sky at their fullest. They're always allowed to reject the offer, but it's with a warning: if they let their newfound instincts overtake them, then they might find themselves back in the Coven under worse conditions. But the Sisters rise framed in stark red skies, even as evening falls across Aefenglom, much to the discontent of the city. Streets that are rarely dim are lit up even moreso, now, in the face of this omen, lanterns and candles leading all the way to the Harbor District. Their colors flicker with shades of blue, green, violet - anything to offset the red. Boats that come and go along the river also carry a lantern or two with the same intent, and ships in the harbor are decorated with magical faerylights, strung across hulls, masts, the works. There's no place in the Harbor District untouched by light, with nary a sign of red in the midst of their goods. Tensions are already high, between the humans and Monsters of Aefenglom. It's especially noticeable on this night: full moons already cause everyone to be a little jumpy, but with the red tidings for Litha, they're more on edge than ever. Some blame the new arrivals, though never directly to their face, especially when they don't know who, or what, someone might be. It's always a there-and-gone whisper, it seems like. Gossip. Distrust. Unease. It doesn't lend well to the full moons, but there are still those that want to help. Many will notice that there's already activities and decorations up for Litha, some of them still under construction despite the fast approaching festival. The most notable of all are the hedge mazes that have been constructed, both by hand and with magic to encourage their growth. Behind the festival organizers' backs, a group of people - both man and beast - are offering Monsters a chance to burn off some of their energy by embracing their instincts in a more... constructive manner, with native Witches and Monsters alike prepared to intervene if things get a little too violent. In a sort of mockery of Litha's traditions, they're partnering Monsters up with a willing participant to run the mazes, with a variety of options that they will list. The partner - or partners, if there is a party looking to go in together - can be either Witch or Monster, and the people organizing this won't judge as they inform the interested individuals of their options: a. A-HUNTING WE WILL GO, allowing the Monster to either hunt a small livestock or game animal (a piglet, fowls, rabbits, the like) or to hunt down their partner through the maze they've chosen. This need not end violently, and can become more of a game of hide and seek meets tag. b. EVERYBODY WAS FIGHTING, where one maze in particular has been devoted to a makeshift fight ring at the very heart of it. The organizers hope, somewhat, that by making the Monster(s) in question run the maze first they'll be a little tired out already when reaching the ring. c. UNDER THE PALE MOONLIGHT, because instincts don't always call for violence, the organizers offer a more intimate experience here, whether it's sexual or nonsexual. Maybe you just want a good cuddle..? The organizers emphasize the idea of consent, and will not force anyone against their will into the hedge mazes, no matter which one it is. They also want to make sure that they will step in to help if called upon, in case someone gets a little too overeager. Witches looking to use magic this night will, peculiarly, find that their magic is a little less... cooperative. Many of the Coven Witches speak of how they specifically wait to cast powerful spells on the night of the full moons, to ensure that they have the greatest chances of success with the help of the Sisters. However, Witches of the new arrival persuasion are much weaker on full moons. Their magic is still there, and they can still draw upon it for spells, but they'll have to put greater effort if they want to cast a spell with any significant amount of power. Overexerting oneself while doing this is entirely possible, so it's best to try and find some sort of balance, lest you find yourself exhausted and without a means to defend yourself. We ask that any and all NSFW threads be marked accordingly, or otherwise moved to a locked post on the log community or an entry/inbox on a character journal. Remember to please be excellent to each other, and respect all limits that your threadmates might have, if you explore the more sexual or violent aspects of the offered prompts. If things get OOCly out of hand, please let us know; if things get ICly out of hand, please let Nessie and Mhairi know.

II. LITHA - IUNERIL 21ST TO 23RD Despite what chaos there might have been on the night of the full moons, and the subsequent day after as things began to calm, Litha still arrives as scheduled on Iuneril 21st, as the sun begins to set. The summer solstice reaches its peak the following night, and the festivities wind down the third dusk. While certainly still lively, it isn't as completely festive as Boaltinn, most certainly because of the red skies, and the natives are obviously trying to make the best they can of what they perceive as a poor situation. To say that the natives are on edge would certainly be an understatement. Whatever happened in those hedge mazes is untraceable, now, and everything looks pristine. Faerylights decorate every awning, overhang, and eave, magical and twinkling with colors to offset the red skies. There are no bonfires, this go around, but much like the fires it seems that the lights all lead to the primary area of celebration: in contrast to Boaltinn, Litha is celebrated in the Entertainment, Shopping, and Harbor Districts. Doors to businesses are wide open (with many even having large signs indicating VAMPIRES WELCOME HERE - those that don't make a clear statement), and stalls offering wares and foods and activities alike are set up at nearly every corner alongside preestablished businesses in the market. The harbor is especially lively, with many sailors coming and going as they prepare for setting sail. While ships themselves are always coming and going in the port, Litha is an important time for the more longterm voyages and those meant to carry some significance, and each ship departing is bid farewell with equal fanfare. Fireworks and celebration that is, at least in some part, genuine, but does carry a certain level of enthusiasm that borders on force of will. a. ASKING FOR A LITTLE COMPANY Though all businesses in the Entertainment District open their doors for the festivals of Aefenglom, the brothels of the city in particular are offering a warm welcome this Litha to anyone who might be interested in spending some time with someone - or, multiple someones. They have open rooms for mingling, lounges with floor pillows and low tables where customers can partake in spiced and unspiced drinks alike, where the unspiced are lacking in the potions and near-aphrodisiacs of the spiced drinks. Private rooms are also available for those seeking a more... intimate experience, however one may take that to mean. The brothel workers are more than happy to attend to any interested parties, but also aren't against randomly pairing individuals up, based on their specifications. And, after a little misunderstanding regarding their classes, the Head Madame of the guild has decided that they will be offering chances for individuals to perform at their establishments. She was rather charmed by the mishap, bless your souls, as were the rest of the guild, so the new arrivals have endeared themselves to the brothel workers. Dances, conversation, assorted busking - whatever skills that their quest-takers learned, whether it be of the more sexual nature or not, they'll provide whatever they might need to put on a show and attract or entertain clientele. b. I'M WISHING FOR THE ONE I LOVE Anyone interested in making their way into the Shopping District will find just as many open doors, as well as numerous stalls interspersed where they weren't before. Vendors hawking their wares and goods like always call out with Litha specials, and businesses set up temporary stalls to draw attention to themselves, with promise of greater bargains and products to be found at their main establishment. There are many that sell spiced foods and drinks, with varying degrees of strength depending on how one wants to feel. Others are selling candles and lanterns, offering a magitech version of a lighter at a steal, depending on how much you purchase otherwise. The largest stalls, and the biggest displays at storefronts, are the flowers though. Every single flower shop in Aefenglom has come out full force, practically painting the district in a myriad of non-red colors as they put their stock on full display. They offer deals for those who wish to buy bouquets for a sweetheart or someone they admire, as well as anyone wanting to make flower crowns for those they care for. Each of the seven largest shops are also handing out a single flower for those partaking in festivities to place under their pillow to dream of future partners, the flower they're typically most well known for; this varies from shop to shop, but the up and coming Rose Bush certainly isn't going to let superstition stop them, and are handing out red roses. It's a bold move, but one that causes the tizzy that they were intending it to. And if one is feeling particularly whimsical, they can go to any well at night, looking into the depths in a bid to see their future spouse and true love within. Perhaps making an offering of a flower would bring good luck..? Just don't linger for too long, as there's a rumor that someone is pushing unfamiliar faces into the well, likely targeting those they think are new arrivals. c. GET LOST WITH ME Though the Harbor District has some bleedover from the Shopping District in terms of festivities, their streets and warehouses are where the most room is available for the hedge mazes. Some are sprawling as they fill the streets and alleys, spilling into the towering buildings that have been empty to load the contents onto waiting ships. They create their own environments, with flowers from the flower shops blooming in the rows and creating archways at entrances and exits. Some are enchanted to seem neverending, although there always is an exit, if one can only figure out the puzzle. Each maze has a different method to its madness, and arrangements that those running them have decided on. (Some faces may seem familiar, to those that encountered them on the full moons; they'll feign otherwise, focused only on the now and refusing to draw attention to any recognition.) Some mazes send in the partners together, randomly selected and tasked with figuring out how to reach the end of the maze together. Others will send the partners in from different ends, with the instructions to find one another, whether in the center of the maze or in its winding path. Another variety offers something reminiscent of the hide and seek meets tag game, tasking one as the hunter and the other as the hunted, a game of pursuit meant to replicate the "playing hard to get" variety of courtship. There's no restrictions on how many times one can enter the maze, as it allows one to forge many bonds - and possibly Bonds - and replicates the process of finding your true love. Or, loves; no one here is going to judge anyone. They certainly won't judge, either, if participants opt to take a swig of something for luck in love before they go in. However, some mazes have been tampered with: rather than opening out into somewhere safe on the street or in a building, they empty out unaware participants into the port itself. Hopefully you know how to swim. Once again, we ask that if any threads take on a NSFW nature that they be marked as such, or otherwise moved to a locked post in the log community or an entry/inbox in a character journal.

Welcome to the event log, part I! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. As ever, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know, and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[plasticasshole]

I'd like to see how good you are with those revolvers.

[His thumbs rub against the fabric of Ocelot's clothing, and he smiles very slightly.]

Would you show me?

[Elsewhere, obviously.]

[gunplay]

[As those thumbs press on his sides, his eyes half-close and he finds himself leaning back, pressing himself against Connor's chest and abdomen.]

Of course.

[He lifts a revolver out of its holster, the gesture lazy and nonthreatening, and prods it up against Connor's chin over his shoulder, like he's poking him with a finger.]

My tricks are as good as those in the movies. Even you should be impressed.

[plasticasshole]

We'll see.

[Connor starts to tug Ocelot to a place where they'll be undisturbed, a nearby park. He pulls back, and gestures towards the other man.]

Okay, show me your tricks.

[gunplay]

[As they stop, he reorients himself with a haughty brush off of his jacket with the back of his hand. He's getting pulled around a lot by this android... and for some reason, it doesn't tick him off.
He likes feeling the pull of his hands, trying to guess at what measure of strength is designed within.]

[Since he has a captive audience, he takes out all three revolvers and begins juggling them.]

Would be even better to have a real showdown.

[He gives a half-smirk.]

What say you to that? Can you get repairs for a few holes in you?

[plasticasshole]

[Connor tilts his head slightly, eyebrows quirking.]

You want to shoot me?

[He pulls out his pistol, gesturing to Ocelot with it.]

I can. Can you?

[He doesn't want to shoot someone who can feel pain. Especially not when he's trying to get in their pants.]

[gunplay]

[He grins at the sight of the pistol.]

Sure. What good is all the magic around here if I don't get some mystical healing out of it? That is, if you can even get me down.

[He puts all but one revolver away with a couple deft spins, pulls bullets off of his bandolier, and starts pushing them into the chambers with his thumb. He licks his lips.]

Tell you what... I used to stick to shootouts... but I've come to enjoy mixed combat. Come at me hand-to-hand too if you want, I'd like to see how strong you really are.

[plasticasshole]

If you insist.

[He'd feel much better just kicking Ocelot's ass the usual way. Not that he expects him to be a pushover, though. He's sure Ocelot will put up a good fight. This should be interesting.

He steps away from him, giving them enough space to work with. He starts to mentally anticipate what Ocelot is going to do, already planning on how he'll counter it. Tumbleweed rolls between them]

[gunplay]

[Ocelot excitedly takes his own stance. And waits. His hands hover by his holsters.]

...Draw!

[Abruptly, he flicks a gun up to aim by his hip and shoots at Connor.]

[plasticasshole]

[Having anticipated it, Connor moves his body to the side, the bullet missing him just barely. He fires at Ocelot, but his own bullet only grazes Ocelot's cheek. He's not looking to put any holes in him, he just wants to see what Ocelot can do.]

You're fast.

[That was still a close call even knowing what Ocelot was going to do. He gets back in his stance- he'll give him another shot.]

[gunplay]

Tch-- so are you.

[He dashes to the side towards cover, firing off a few more bullets from two guns towards Connor until he can jump behind a tree.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor starts towards Ocelot, taking one bullet directly to the abdomen. He ignores it- it didn't hit any vital biocomponents, he just has a hole in him now. Blue blood runs down his stomach as he approaches Ocelot, and he stops on the other side of that tree and puts his gun away. Listening to see what Ocelot is doing.]

[gunplay]

[He glances around the tree, startling for just a moment to see the blue blood and Connor's indifference to it. Robots...]

You're not fighting like you mean it!

[He growls in annoyance and flicks his thumbs over the revolver hammers.]

Try to avoid this one!

[He fires around the tree with one gun... and the shot is wide, missing Connor by a large margin. Connor should predict the miss easily... but will he predict the ricochet off of a stone wall behind him that sends the bullet careening back towards him?]

[plasticasshole]

Ah-

[The shot hits him in the chest, and he seems surprised for a moment. Fine... Ocelot wants a fight, he'll give him one. He slides out from behind the tree and charges Ocelot, focusing on disarming him first. Whether or not he succeeds or not, he then sweeps his foot under Ocelot's in an attempt to make him fall.]

How did you do that with your bullet?

[gunplay]

Ghh!

[Don't black out don't black out...]

[It's not the first time he's had his weaponry thrown from his hands and fallen to his back. But he's not entirely sure if he's dazed and might faint again or if he's feeling some strange effect having Connor coming in close... something that started slowly when he took the drink.]

No one is better with a gun than I am.

[He kicks a spurred boot up at Connor.]

[plasticasshole]

[He knocks the boot aside and pulls out his own gun, aiming it at Ocelot.]

That doesn't matter when you can't keep your gun in your hands.

[Connor aims down the length of Ocelot's body, before he spins it on his finger (mostly to impress Ocelot) and aims it away again.]

I'm not going to shoot you.

[gunplay]

[He breathes deeply as the gun is aimed along his body. His eyes narrow. All he knows is that he wants more... of something. Heat creeps across his face and his throat tightens as the gun is spun in front of him.]

So, you think that means you've won? I don't accept that. I haven't seen how strong you are yet.

[plasticasshole]

How can I show you?

[He puts the gun away and debates helping Ocelot to his feet, but... seeing him on his back isn't a bad look for him.]

[gunplay]

[He reaches up to grab for him however he can and try to roughly yank him down on top, impulsively and awkwardly.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor manages to catch himself before he falls too hard, moving to straddle Ocelot and pin both of his wrists down on the ground. He leans in until their lips almost touch, then smirks a little.]

Is this what you wanted?

[gunplay]

I wanted a real fight.

[His pulse beats hard under Connor's hands. Getting thrown down by a man in a fight is reminiscent... something that gets him hot, even without the effect amplifying the feeling.]

[He bends a knee until he can jab Connor's leg with a spur.]

Were you designed to flirt at people the way you've been doing? You must be full of recording devices...

[Face flushed from something between arousal and frustration, he tips his head up to kiss Connor roughly.]

[plasticasshole]

[He's going to say he'll get off of Ocelot and fight him if that's what he wants, but then Ocelot is kissing him and he returns it roughly. This is almost a fight in itself; where Connor would usually be more ready to submit, he doesn't want to here. He wants Ocelot to give in, instead. He shoves a knee between his legs, breath hot against Ocelot's lips as he pulls back a little.

He knows he wouldn't usually flirt with people like this, or kiss them so readily. Something is affecting him, he's smart enough to figure that out. But trying to stop himself seems like such an effort, and when people are so receptive to his advances... well, it isn't hurting anyone, clearly.]

It doesn't matter what I was designed to do. I don't do that anymore.